The End of Layla Hassan
by Dairene
Summary: Suffering, sacrifice, and reunion


Layla Hassan stumbled forward, barely able to keep herself up- she knew she wouldn't be able to survive much longer. She was bleeding profusely from multiple wounds- but the most severe one was the laceration that ran horizontally through her lower abdomen. Only the desperate grasping of her right hand kept her intestines from spilling out completely from her disemboweled body. Each step she made was hell for her, as unrelenting agony ran through her body.

The prone corpse of sadistic Templar hitman Otso Berg lay some distance away, both a sword and a spear impaled through his torso, while his face was burned beyond recognition.

Yet he had done a number on Layla before he died, impaling her through the lower back and cut sideways, slicing her open, and exposing her viscera to the environment.

"P-please- just- oh god, oh god- I can't- can't die now-" Layla babbled senselessly, groaning in excruciating pain.

Maintaining balance was further challenged since the floor was slippery with copious amounts of blood. Layla collapsed to her hands and knees, crawling desperately for her destination. Unable to hold her bowels in anymore, they hung from her mutilated body like macabre Christmas decorations.

The data computer that was her destination was only a few meters away, but for Layla, it might as well be a trek through the desert.

At long last, she reached it, and with the last of her strength, jabbed the "Transmit" button. Shortly after, the screen hummed, and an upload bar began to run, indicating the data was finally being sent to the Assassin Order with which it belonged.

Layla collapsed in a bloody heap amid her own organs. With nothing left to hold back for, and perhaps minutes left to live, Layla broke down. She sobbed and cried with all the remaining strength in her dying body, tears running down her face and snot bubbling from her nose. There's not much need for dignity and composure when you're moments from dying alone, in horrible, extreme pain, and your insides are decorating the floor.

"I did it, Deanna, I did it. I avenged you. I so sorry- you- you didn't deserve this. It's all my fault. And Victoria, I'm so, so, so sorry… But I'm coming Deanna, I'm coming Victoria. Wait, wait for me…"

Layla woke with a start, and found to her astonishment, she was in bed, in the apartment she'd shared with Deanna before everything went south.

Layla quickly looked down at herself and frantically studied her body- there were no sign of the grievous wounds Berg had inflicted on her. "What on earth…"

She stumbled into the bathroom. "What is this? Did I… dream all of that…?"

She heard a door open outside and a pair of voices conversing, and instinctively tensed up.

"Hey! Layla's gone!" A voice shouted rather loudly. "Where'd she go?"

Layla's blood froze at the familiar voice.

No… it couldn't be… she dead… you heard them kill her…

Was it a cruel joke? But if she really was…

Layla took a deep breath and decided there was one way to find out. She flung the bathroom door open… and found herself face-to-face with Deanna Grey.

"There you are Layla!" Deanna smiled tearfully. "Sorry for not being there when you woke up, I know it can be disorient-"

"D- Deanna!" Layla broke out of her shock and flung her arms around her lover. "I am so- so sorry! About everything!" She sobbed brokenly. "You didn't deserve any of this- it was all my fault and I got you- I got you- "

"Killed?" Deanna replied softly, stroking Layla's hair. "I can't deny that I wasn't angry for awhile, that you didn't heed my warnings. But I realized that I was partially culpable myself, even if it wasn't my idea, and besides, I could never stay mad at you for long." She maneuvered Layla's face before her own and gently wiped the tears staining the latter girl's face. "And we're both here now."

"B-But h-how…?"

"I guess… this is an afterlife of sorts," Deanna explained. "Or the entryway to it. By the way, I saw… I saw how you… went. It was horrible. You don't know how helpless, how horrified it made me to watch you in so much pain, struggling in agony to do some good in your final moments. If you thought hearing me die was bad, imagine watching me die slowly in agony. That's how I felt."

"I'm- I'm so- sorry," Layla groaned tearfully. "For worrying you like that. I'm sorry I'm such a screw-up- "

"You're not," Deanna asserted. "Look, what I'm trying to get at is that you've more than made up for your mistakes. You've suffered so much. I- I can't bear to see anymore of it."

"Th- Thanks," Layla forced a smile, laying her head against Deanna's chest.

Deanna took her girlfriend by the hands and guided her to the edge and the bed, where the sat down, and Layla's head soon sank to Deanna's lap.

"My, a touching reunion," Another familiar voice began from the doorway.

Layla's head jerked up with shock at the sound of the voice.

"Victoria?!"

"In the flesh. Or should I say, in the spirit? Didn't want to disturb you lovebirds getting back together, though."

"Deanna, let me talk to her for a moment, okay?" Layla squeezed Deanna's hand.

"It's fine," Deanna smiled reassuringly. "She's told me a lot about what's you've been doing."

"Thank you- for trusting me," Layla held both of Deanna's hands, before letting go and turning over to Victoria.

"Victoria- I'm- I'm so, so sorry- " Layla apologized, choking up. "It's all my fault- I should have- should've listen to you- You were worried about me, and I- I- I killed you… You didn't deserve this."

A sudden slap to Layla's cheek startled her, and her eyes widened.

"And you deserve that," Victoria said sharply, before her expression and tone softened. "But you didn't deserve to die so horribly. Damn that Berg asshole- but I'm glad you took him down." She threw her arms around Layla and embraced her.

Layla stood motionless for moment in surprise, but recovered and smiled wordlessly, returning Victoria's hug.

Finally, Victoria let go, and gazed firmly into Layla's eyes, holding the younger woman by the shoulders. "Layla- I would be lying if I said I didn't have some regrets. But- I don't want to hear you apologizing for it again. What's done is done- nothing we can do about it now. And I'm not arrogant or self-centered to pretend that you don't have your own regrets. Yet you went through horrible suffering and gave your life to help the world. That's something I'll always respect."

"Thank you, Victoria."

"Well, I better leave the happy couple alone," Victoria winked. "I'll be heading to my… home here. Deanna knows how to contact me if you need me. I have a fair number of people I know who are, well… who I can catch up with again." The psychiatrist waved to Layla and Deanna. "See you around!"

As Victoria shut the door behind her, Layla turned back to Deanna. "Well, what do you want to do now?"

"I can definitely think of one thing," Deanna smirked seductively.


End file.
